A glimpse into the lives and studio, and garden, of two very happily married hard working jewelry artists that like plants and food and really appreciate the two cats that take such good care of them.
All photos are clickable for larger views.
Unless otherwise noted, all designs and images are the copyright of Tom and/or Pat Bauman.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

I spent much longer than I had thought I would sprueing this commissioned pendant Tuesday afternoon. Here's yet more proof of why I think that Pat is The Best Wax Carver in Asheville!

(And, again, this wax was photographed on a sheet of white paper.

But at least this shows the dimensional aspects of this pendant well.)

Our Clients provided Pat with a rough sketch of what they had in mind. This is her scaled-down design sketch that they approved before she began carving the wax of their pendant.

Yes, I can be persnickety. When a piece has as much time in it as this one does I'd much rather err on the side of caution. So, yes, I very carefully over-sprued. (I'd rather have the casting turn out perfectly and spend extra time de-sprueing and re-texturing parts of the back than I would have a casting fail and Pat have to re-carve the wax!) I also sprued the waxes of the two rings that Violet D. ordered.

Yesterday we shipped out the faceted forged ring that Sandy ordered. I got the Parkway Crafts Center order all ready to ship out first thing in the morning.

I poured the first of these two flasks at 7 PM. After I quenched and put the pieces into the devester Pat and I made a nice summertime-type dinner.

After dinner Pat flopped and began reading a new C.J. Cherryh novel that she's been looking forward to. Sam and I went outside to enjoy the evening. I sat on our bench and listened to the frogs next door and Sammy sprawled on his table so he could guard the edge of our yarden.

Last night was one of those times when it is hard to believe that we live where we do ~ just a couple of miles from one of the busiest roads in town. Our fountain burbled, the frogs sang a discordant off-beat chorus next door. An occasional car sound off in the distance. And all was good.

Until it was time to come back inside and put the castings into the new pickle for the night.

Sam refused to come in. We have a family of coyotes somewhere in the scrub woods behind our house, so leaving the Tiger out unsupervised was not an option! He wouldn't be herded. He wouldn't come for the promise of food . . .

Sam finally did come running to the sound of a can being tapped with a knife. Which is how we got the boyz to come in years ago. Since we didn't have any canned cat food in the house I had to use a can of tuna. Pat said it was only fair to let Sam and Ink have it since they came when I used it (Inky was sound asleep in the bedroom) . . .

Ink loved it and of course Sam turned his nose up at canned tuna and pouted; until he got a lap to cuddle on!